Entoli

Strange things can happen at sea, such as the union of a seafaring maenad and a beautiful siren. To the surprise of sirens, entoli usually result from these meetings as opposed to sirens. Some believe that this phenomenon is due to an ancient curse placed upon the maenads taking hold across bloodlines. Combining the sonic affinity of maenads and the hypnotic qualities of a siren, entoli possess an unusually authoritative presence.

Appearance: Due to a combination of the tall, stocky builds of maenads and the bird-like frames of sirens, entoli end up remarkably similar to humans in height and build. Entoli possess bright eyes and even brighter feathers covering their upper arms and shoulders. Their facial features tend to angular with pointed chins and hawkish noses. Unlike maenads, their skin is not covered in flecks of crystal. Instead their feathers possess this crystalline quality, catching the light around them in strange ways. Their hair contrasts with their mostly bright appearance, ranging from dark brown to black.

Entoli prefer to wear clothing that is stylish, yet simple, in order to prevent attention from being drawn away from their proudest feature: their voice. Due to the feathers covering their shoulders, heavier clothing and armor must usually be tailored with care, otherwise it becomes a source of great discomfort. Just like maenads, they prefer to go without shoes, especially when sailing is involved.

Demeanor: Entoli feel a keen need to belong. They bond strongly with the people they love and trust (be they family, friends, or shipmates) and do not enjoy being alone for extended periods of time. Even the most introverted entoli feels keenly the need to be part of a group, to give and receive affection and assurance, and to spend time around others. This group identity—a legacy of their siren mother and the flaring emotions inherited from their maenad father—means that entoli can grow jealous or depressed when friendships end or become separated by distance. Particularly weak-willed or drunk entoli may stop using 'I' to refer to themselves and instead use 'we' and 'us', identifying solely as part of their group.

Entoli have a great love of music, focusing on their voice.Born with a desire to attract attention and with a voice that keeps it, their singing often secures them invitations to many social circles. They often develop an interest in singing at a young age, never losing it as they get older. Entoli will try to bring music into whatever they do, from humming to themselves to singing fullblast when at work.

Backgrounds: Entoli are celebrated, but tragic births. Their siren mothers usually give them up to the nearest maenad village that can be found, realizing that the entoli could never make it in siren society. Entoli lack wings, and most importantly, their voices lack the sheer power to carry out great distances over the waves.

In the seafaring maenad society, entoli are not treated as outcasts. They are gifts from the sea itself, valued in any crew due to their beautiful singing voices and excellent musical talent. Despite this, they are a great challenge to raise. With voices that carry power, they can often get their way. This is especially true during childhood when the entoli has barely any control of their powers and even less responsibility. It is only thanks to the firm discipline that every Maenad lives by that entoli do not become a source of hardship for their families.

With their siren blood, entoli lack the emotional turmoil characteristic to maenads. Instead, entoli tend to be expressive and fun loving, often rejecting the lessons in control that maenads stress. This can sometimes be a point of contention between the entoli and their family, as many maenads feel that this is a rejection of their culture.

Entoli usually pursue careers that allow them to practice their singing often and that provide them with an audience. Usually they become sailors, singing sea shanties and reveling in the companionship they receive from their crewmates. It is not unusual for an entoli to end up a professional actor or singer as well. Rarely do they engage in careers such as smithing, as forges are not conducive to large groups of people.

Adventurers: While staying in their home village can provide the companionship and popularity entoli desire, it can never provide the inspiration that travelling brings. Usually, an entoli chooses to become an adventurer after meeting a trader from a foreign land, seeing their exotic wares, and hearing their strange tongue. At this moment they realize that there is so much more to see than they’d ever thought possible. They usually end up leaving with the next adventuring party to come through their village, or with a band of friends that they convinced leaving home for a life of danger and glory would be a good idea.

Entoli are often blessed with power from their lineage, naturally inclined to both sorcery and psionicism. Due to this mixing of power, entoli are likely to become cerebremancers or thoughtsingers, blending their powers together into art. Even with such natural gifts, many entoli become swift swashbucklers or brave cavaliers, emulating the protagonists of stories they adored growing up.

Racial Traits

Entoli possess the following racial traits.

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Constitution: As a result of their heritage, entoli are graceful and headstrong, but fragile.
• Medium: Entoli are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Humanoid (beastblood): Entoli are humanoids with the beastblood subtype.
• Maenad’s Legacy: Entoli count as maenads for any effect related to race and gain a +2 racial bonus to Profession (sailor) checks.
• Normal Speed: Entoli have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Low Light Vision (Ex): Entoli can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Clarity’s Call (Su): Using their own hypnotic powers, an entoli can disrupt another’s enchantment. As an immediate action, an entoli may grant one ally within 30 feet another saving throw against a mindaffecting effect that allows a saving throw. This saving throw has an identical DC to the original save. If your ally succeeds, the effect ends. You cannot grant an ally more than one additional save against a single effect. After using this ability, an entoli must wait one minute before doing so again.
• Entrancing Voice (Ps): When an entoli speaks, others want to believe. Creatures Entoli attempt to influence the attitude of when using Diplomacy may have their attitude shifted one additional time, past the usual limit of twice. Additionally, Entoli gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Perform (sing) checks.
• Lucent Plumage (Ex): The crystalline feathers of an entoli can reflect light in unnatural ways. Entoli gain a +2 racial bonus to their AC against rays thanks to their reflective crystalline feathers.
• Naturally Psionic: Entoli gain Wild Talent as a bonus feat. If they gain levels in a psionic class, this feat is immediately exchanged for the Psionic Talent feat.
• Persuasive Verse (Ex): Entoli can make Perform (sing) checks in place of Diplomacy checks. Perform (sing) is always considered a class skill for entoli.
• Psionic Aptitude: When an entoli takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
• Sonic Affinity (Su): Entoli add a +1 to the DC of any spell, power, or ability with the sonic descriptor.
• Languages: Entoli begin play speaking Common and Maenad. Entoli with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, and Elven.

Alternate Racial Traits

Entoli have access to the following alternate racial traits.

Deceitful Melody (Ex): Entoli can make Perform (sing) checks in place of Bluff checks. Perform (sing) is always considered a class skill for entoli. This racial trait replaces persuasive verse.

Illusory Waltz (Su): Born with larger prism-like feathers, some entoli choose to channel their creativeness into dance instead of song, dancing to an inner music. Using swift movements and their natural ability to manipulate light with their feathers, they can evade most blows. As an immediate action in response to a melee or ranged attack (including touch or ranged touch spell attacks) being made against you. Make a Perform (dance) check, using your opponent’s attack roll as the DC. If you succeed, the attack is negated. Perform (dance) is always considered a class skill for entoli. After using this ability, an entoli must wait one minute before doing so again. This racial trait replaces clarity’s call.

Lexical Liturgy (Su): Some entoli become obsessed with the spoken word, attempting to master it in all forms. Add a +1 to the DC of any spell, power, or ability that is language dependent. Additionally, these entoli gain a +2 racial bonus on Linguistics checks and know an additional bonus language. This racial trait replaces sonic affinity.

Vicious Talons (Ex): Some Entoli lack some of the raw hypnotic power of a siren’s voice, instead inheriting some of their more bestial features. The entoli has a pair of talons that can be used as natural weapons dealing 1d3 damage. Additionally they gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics, Climb and Intimidate checks. This racial trait replaces sonic affinity and entrancing voice.

Villainous Refrain (Ex): These Entoli can make Perform (sing) checks in place of Intimidate checks, and Perform (sing) is always considered a class skill for them. This racial trait replaces persuasive verse.

Racial Favored Class Options

Entoli can select from the following alternate favored class options.

• All: Gain 1/6 of a bonus heritage feat. Any entoli character can choose this bonus upon gaining a level in their favored class.
• Aegis: Add +1/4 to the aegis's customization points.
• Bard (thoughtsinger): Add +1/2 to the maximum number of creatures in the thoughtsinger’s collective.
• Cavalier: Add +1/4 to the cavalier's banner bonus.
• Daevic (dominion): Add a +1/3 bonus the save granted by clarity’s call.
• Dread: Add +1 foot to the size of the dread's aura of fear. This option has no effect unless the dread has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); an aura of 14 feet is effectively the same as a 10-foot aura, for example.
• Marksman: Gain 1/6 of a new marksman bonus feat.
• Psychic Warrior: Add +1/2 to the psychic warrior's manifester level when manifesting a path power
• Rajah: The rajah and her entitled creatures gain a 1/3 bonus to Perform (sing) and Bluff.
• Rogue: Add a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks to feint and Diplomacy checks to gather information.
• Skald: When under the effects of raging song, add +1/4 points of damage to the skald’s natural attacks.
• Sorcerer: Add +1/2 to the sorcerer’s caster level when determining the range of any spells with the sonic descriptor.
• Swashbuckler: Increase the total number of points in the swashbuckler’s panache pool by 1/4.
• Tactician: Add +1/4 to the tactician’s daily strategy uses.
• Warlord: Add +1/4 of a maneuver known from the Golden Lion or Sleeping Goddess disciplines.
• Wilder: Add +1/4 power known from the wilder power list. This power must be at least one level below the highest power level the wilder can manifest.
• Zealot: Add +1/2 to the maximum number of creatures in the zealot’s collective.